Date set for hospital verdict

DAYS are numbered for Westbury’s hospital campaign as a verdict on whether it will be demolished to build houses is expected in two weeks’ time.

Campaigners wanting to save the hospital will be biting their nails next month as Wiltshire councillors decide whether to allow the NHS to replace the former hospital with 59 homes.

The decision is now expected on Wednesday 10th August, White Horse News can reveal.

The meeting comes nearly six months later than the original date in February because the application was changed a number of times. The most notable difference is that the plan now includes 13 fewer houses than it did at the start.

The plan has been controversial and caused upset among residents who feel Westbury is losing an important facility to make way for new homes, of which they feel there are already too many.

The main campaign group, Sensible Thinking on Patients (STOP), will attend the meeting alongside local councillor Gordon King, in the hope of persuading the planning committee to turn down the application.

Campaign leader Erica Watson said, “We urge anyone who is able to attend, to come to County Hall and show the planning committee the strength of public feeling about the proposed plans for Westbury Hospital, and the detrimental impact it will have on their town.”

View the final plans and local people’s comments by searching reference
15/11604/OUT in the planning search at www.wiltshire.gov.uk
The meeting starts at 3pm.